


How Far We've Come

by SilverCowGirl



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Birthday, Celebrations, F/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:49:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27063685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverCowGirl/pseuds/SilverCowGirl
Summary: I've had many renditions in my head of Robin's birthday celebration with Strike at the Ritz, but this is one I wrote this morning when I couldn't really quit wishing Book 6 would hurry up and be published, all the while realizing it will be at least a year or two wait.Spoiler warning - Something of all the books, including TB, here!!!
Relationships: Robin Ellacott & Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	How Far We've Come

**Author's Note:**

> I know this scene will probably be done hundreds, if not thousands of times, in our imaginations! Here's just one more.

How Far We’ve Come

During the evening of Robin’s 30th birthday, with Robin and Strike at the Ritz. Celebrating with champagne, not only a birthday, but the success of their agency, their friendship, and the smoothing of their personal lives. 

“So, a toast, to Strike and Ellacott,” raising his champagne flute to his beautiful partner as he thought back over the years of their friendship. 

Robin raised her’s also, thinking along the same lines. 

_She’s stepped up in ways I’d never imagined when she first produced coffee and biscuits, apparently out of thin air, with John Bristow sat in my office._

_He gave me a chance, after he saved my life from falling backwards down that flight of stairs._

_She has the same drive to solve puzzles that lives in myself._

_He took me along with him on that first case, recognizing something in me that nobody else saw._

_She has been what saved me from the insanity of Charlotte all these years._

_He wanted me back even after I married Matthew._

They clinked their champagnes together and drank, eyes met in a long look. They were both comfortable in the silence, both with their own thoughts.

_He has been so supportive, not pushing, through these two long years of divorcing. I’ve been so bloody tired._

_She was amazing in her dedication to keeping things running when I needed to be gone to St. Mawes this past year._

_He’s not stopped me from doing the dangerous stuff, treated me an equal._

_She has never been a shrew to me, like Charlotte, even during an argument, even when I sacked her. I can depend she’ll bring me a tea, even when she’s a bit pissed with me._

Coming out of their reverie at the same time, they both sighed. 

Strike refilling their drinks, feeling out on a ledge now, “Shall we drink to the future?”

Robin, never letting him fall now, “Yes, that would be lovely,” with a slight turn up of her lips, another long look.

“Do you remember that night at the pub, when you were a bit sad, what you said to me?” 

Eyebrows raised, Strike sucked in a deep breath through his nose, waiting.

“You’ve got to know when to ask a question and when to not ask a question. Give them time.” 

_She’s so damn brilliant, she can beat me at my own game now._

Robin remained silent, taking another sip, not breaking eye contact now. 

For Strike the rest of the room faded away and it was only the two of them. He had almost stopped breathing, he was giving his thoughts so much attention. _What can I ask? Is the time now? Will it fuck up what we have? How long should I wait?_

_He can probably hear my heart pounding, but this is it. I just have to wait._

He finally spoke quietly, gazing at his glass, rubbing his thumb back and forth in the condensation. “When I first met you, I knew immediately you could be a disruption to my equilibrium, so I told myself, this far and no further. Your engagement ring was a sizeable impediment, always reminding me you were off limits as a romantic partner, making it safe for me to get to know you without any expectation other than being colleagues. And oh, how I enjoyed watching your passion, your need to know, as you learned and became more skilled in surveillance and detection. You really are brilliant, you know, you have some sort of innate ability to deal with people, a seventh sense about clues, a mind that won’t stop until you’ve solved the puzzle. I can’t count how many times I’ve thought how much alike we are, yet we are so different it scares the hell out of me. 

He gave another big sigh. Now it was Robin who was holding her breath, stilled as he continued, “I was so damn scared and angry with myself when I sacked you. I immediately regretted it, but it wasn’t for a few days that I could admit that I was wrong. Then I couldn’t reach you. Solving the case didn’t mean much without you to share it. My thoughts were such a mess, don’t know what I was thinking, but knew I had to see you before you married, offer your job back, have you back as …. I told myself, _don’t think about it._ Our hug on the day of your wedding gave me to think you’d call it off, annul it or whatever.” 

He looked so morose, Robin thought to save him, but she wouldn’t interrupt his chain of reminiscence. He’d taught her well.

Strike stared off into space now, as though he were somewhere else. “I called your mum and dad’s number trying to get hold of you and I was… so …damn… sad when your dad told me you were on your honeymoon. I got a bit plastered, not proud of it, what I did. Not a fair way to treat someone who just happened to be available, but I was trying to do whatever it took to put you and Matthew out of my mind. Anything to stop thinking about you.” 

Robin, using immutable courage, remained silent.

It was as though the words were being pulled out of Strike, as though he didn’t really want to say them. “Then we had that year of your marriage. I tried to distract myself with other women. Looking back I think I was more than a bit of a twat myself,” shaking his head. “I had to put up a bigger boundary, _just don’t think about it,_ I told myself. I could do it if we didn’t see each other much, stayed busy, but you looked so damn tired all the time and I worried about you. It doesn’t say much about me that I was glad when you left him. Oh, I was still worried about you, but I thought there was hope. I felt hope,” he trailed off and was silent again. 

Not able to stop himself now, “Two years of divorcing, not really fair for me to put more on you than you already had. Years of you getting more experiences, becoming more adept at detection.” He smiled a small smile, still not looking at her, “Bloody irritating that you were getting better than me at putting the clues together. Bloody awesome to have you as a partner.” Tears sprang to Robin’s eyes.

“Then this past year, who could have predicted. Aunt Joan’s sickness took me away from the agency and I always knew I could depend on you. I worried about that arsehole Morris, fuck’s sake, I thought you must fancy him more than an old fat fucker like me,” shaking his head now. “You put him in his place. And we worked together to solve a 40 year old case, two of them actually, or three!” 

“And I’ve come to realize something,” he said, while Robin literally was holding her breath now. “Every time I’m with you I feel better. You seem to know what I’m thinking. I enjoy being with you, working with you, the line between the two blurs. The one thing is…”

“Robin, this is so bloody hard to say, because I don’t ever want to lose what we’ve got together, never want to risk the agency, but even more now I don’t want to risk our friendship.” Tears are now streaming down Robin’s face, but Strike is unable to look at her. 

“Do you think we can be more than partners in the agency? Do you think we can be partners without bloody hating each other in the end? I’m not talking about a one-night shag or a two month fling here. I can’t do that. I’m not good at commitment in the romance department, but I’m thinking that’s the only way I can do it with you,” he was babbling now. 

Robin knew it was her turn to save him. It was meant to be all along. He’d saved her the first time they laid eyes on each other and now, all these years later, the waiting was over. They’d grown, healed, taken the time to become friends, both better people, exceptional people, for all the time that had passed. “Yes,” she said simply, “yes,” as they both stood and hugged, eyes closed, clinging to each other as though they would never let go. 

**Author's Note:**

> Eeeekkkk! I think I really must find something to give me a break from having Strike and Robin in my head all the time! Hope you enjoy!


End file.
